2nd XI go close against Civil Service II

After last week's cancellation, Yelverton 2nd XI got their season off to a belated start against visitors Plymouth Civil Service & Roborough's 2nd string.

PCS & R's skipper dan Piddock won the toss and asked Yelverton to bat first on the damp track.

Yelverton quickly found themselves in trouble at 14-3 with Andy Taylor (0), Lee Johns (5) ad Dane Bunney (6) all back in the pavilion. Veteran Gerry Keen (43) and Gavin Jones (29) got the heads down in a partnership of 56 for the 4th wicket before Keen was caught behind off the bowling of Dan Piddock for 43. Skipper Chris Pearson joined Jones in the middle and the pair added 26 more before Jones was run-out following some sharp fielding in the covers. Tom Noble (2) came and went whilst 14 more runs were added. Chris Cottrell joined Pearson in the middle and the pair added a quick 35 for the 7th wicket with some belligerent hitting off the tiring bowlers before Pearson was bowled for 40 by Raj Vijayakumar (3-40) in the last over as the innings closed on 146-7.

The PCS & R reply got off to a flier with first wicket pair Piddock & M. Hamlyn putting on 48 in quick time. The introduction of Andy Taylor into the attack brought the wicket of Hamlyn, adjudged LBW for 19. Piddock (26) followed shortly after also to the bowling of Taylor, well caught by a diving Pearson at Mid-Off. The 3rd wicket pair of Maloney (36) & Pitman (21) put on 40 for the 3rd wicket, but when Pitman was caught by Lee Johns at backward point off Taylor with the score on 93, PCS & R still looked in the ascendancy. Maloney & R. Hamlyn added another 40 runs for the 4th wicket to nudge them closer to the target, but when skipper Pearson (3-23) removed Hamlyn, Maloney & B. Piddock in quick succession and Taylor (4-28) chipped in with his 4th wicket to leave PCS & R on 139-7 an unlikely victory seemed possible. Tony Carter then took the 8th wicket with the score on 141, and it was left to the 9th wicket pair of Sanders & Yates to scramble the winning runs with 7 balls of the innings left.

An exciting game with the result in doubt until the penultimate over. Next week the 2nd's are home again at Langton Park (2:00pm) when the entertain Kingskerswell II.